The affix "le-Street" in the toponym refers to the fact that the village is beside the course of a former Roman road. The Domesday Book of 1086 records the manor as Warham. About 1 mile (1.6 km) south of the village is the deserted medieval village of Wharram Percy.

In 1974 rural districts were abolished and the border between the East Riding of Yorkshire and the North Riding of Yorkshire was realigned. The North Riding changed its name to North Yorkshire.
Since 1974 Wharram has been in North Yorkshire, specifically within the Ryedale District. It would appear that since the re-organization of 1974, the name of the parish has reverted from Wharram back to Wharram le Street. (source: Wikipedia)

Research Tips

The FamilySearch wiki on the ecclesiastical parish of Wharram le Street provides a list of useful resources for the local area.

A Vision of Britain through Time also provides links to three maps of the East Riding, produced by the United Kingdom Ordnance Survey, illustrating the boundaries between the civil parishes and the rural districts at various dates. These maps all blow up to a scale that will illustrate small villages and large farms or estates.